O•, O[subscript 2] and O[subscript 3] play vital roles in the Earth's atmosphere, regulating ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and being essential for life. However, the oxygen family, O•, O[subscript 2] and O[subscript 3], also provides a source of the HO radical, the atmospheric detergent that removes pollutants from the atmosphere. This…

In this article, the author describes an activity using physical models -- each a clear plastic box enclosing a miniature coastal town, complete with real water in the "ocean." This activity shows students a natural cause-and-effect relationship that is scientifically simple, yet even many adults don't grasp the worldwide implications:…

This column contains exercises to challenge content knowledge. This month's issue discusses ways to remove CO[subscript 2] from the atmosphere.

We report our progress on the "River Memorial Museum" didactic intervention project developed with schools, in the basin of the Atoyac River in Mexico, that are significantly impacted by the pollution produced through industrialisation. The teachers of the elementary schools in these communities, environmental scientists, educators, and…

The Hudson River Watershed contains a variety of geologic, topographic, climatic, and hydrologic features and a diversity of land-use patterns--making it an ideal model for studying human impact on the coastal environment. In this article, the authors present the Hudson River Plume (HRP), a problem-based online module that explores nonpoint-source…

What can glaciers tell us about volcanoes and atmospheric conditions? How does this information relate to our understanding of climate change? Ice Core Investigations is an original and innovative activity that explores these types of questions. It brings together popular science issues such as research, climate change, ice core drilling, and air…

Level 6 (final-year BSc) students undertook case studies on between-site and temporal variation in river-water quality. They used professionally-collected datasets supplied by the Environment Agency. The exercise gave students the experience of working with large, real-world datasets and led to their understanding how the quality of river water is…

Green is often used as a synonym for environmental or ecological, especially as it relates to products and activities aimed at minimizing damage to the planet. Scientists and engineers have long had important roles in the environmental movement. Their expertise is focused on a variety of issues, including increasing energy efficiency, improving…

Explains the need for science training for many environmental careers and science related tasks required in performing their jobs. States that environmentalists are getting industries to change production methods and helping policymakers make regulations. (RT)

Gill-breathing freshwater snails (Family "Pleuroceridae") are ecologically important, abundant in many streams in the United States, and easy to collect and maintain under classroom conditions. These snails can be used in classroom tests to demonstrate effects of pollutants on aquatic organisms. In more advanced classes, students can cage the…

Presented are papers by African scientists and policy experts discussing environmental law, policy, and science, relative to countries of Africa. Particularly emphasized are the concerns of environmental chemistry. An editorial comprises the first chapter. Subsequent topics include: (1) historical background of the African Regional Network for…

In November 2000, wild Atlantic salmon were placed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Washington Academy (WA) in Maine has played an integral role in the education and restoration of this species. Efforts to restore the salmon's dwindling population, enhance critical habitat areas, and educate and inform the public require…

Describes roles of eight federal agencies in the Global Change Data and Information System (GCDIS) that will gather information concerning natural resources, agriculture and forestry, climate, earth science and geophysics, oceanography, defense issues, energy and atmospheric concerns, land management, environmental pollution, aeronautics and…

The purpose of this volume is to present a body of basic information about the Great Lakes that is current and based on sound research. Such information is frequently difficult to locate, especially in one reference, and equally difficult to decipher and evaluate. The 16 essays contained in this book deal with a variety of topics including the…

Reviews the tremendous transformation that human beings have wrought on the earth's surface from the Holocene to the present. Traces this transformation through various stages: the emergence and development of agriculture, agricultural impact and land degradation, ecological and political imperialism, industrialization, and environmental…